Anna's Requiem
by FallForMe MyDarkness
Summary: With nowhere left to go this young mother, stripped of her purpose and all hope, wanders into a new land where a stranger saves her.. from herself. Eventual romance with a theme of healing and learning about being strong and independent of the past. Leggo-my-eggo-mance! (snickers to self)
1. Chapter 1

Anna's Requiem, Chapter 1

As a 26-year-old mother of two kids living through a war of the governments in the year 2157, life was not easy for Anna. She did what she could to survive on a daily basis, however there was no longer a civilized structure and the public had fallen to utter chaos in the last decade.

It was a slow process, at first, beginning with the execution of government leaders around the world. An organized event stirred by the wide spread terrorist group, the GATF, otherwise the Global Association of Territorial Freedom. The fall of the governments was meant to be an end to corruption, however without limitations society had begun to weaken in its ability to differentiate between right and wrong. In conclusion, it led to several dictatorships in distant countries and the evils of mankind to blossom into what is now being called The Society's Apocalypse.

Over the last few years Anna was forced to face many hard truths in this time of greed and scandal. Everyone now only fought side-by-side in a tight knit family or were simply forced to find their own way. She wasn't fortunate enough, though, and her family, whom she thought would be there, turned their backs on her at her most desperate hour. Her spouse also uncovered something to his nature she was not expecting.

"Just leave, dammit, Anna!" He spat at the small woman slumped against the wall of their home, sobbing with her fingers dug in the carpet. Her world was falling apart. How did this even happen? One night he came home acting very strange and accusing her of being a dead weight in the family. She only ever cared for their kids when she wasn't working. That is, before she lost her job.

"Why, Robert?" She choked, "I've only ever done everything in my power to help our family! Why are you threatening to kick me out? Is it because I lost my job? You know it wasn't my fault. I was set up! My boss was always afraid I would make her look bad. We talked about this!"

"How does that make sense? If you're good you get rewarded, if not then fired!" He stated, not accepting any excuses she made up, as if she were lying.

"You know the system in messed up these days, Rob! Everyone is feeling a ton of pressure from GATF these last few years, especially now since they are forcing the reform of the job industry. It's all a big mess, we need a leader and yet they are content keeping the common people as a headless chicken!" She pleaded.

He wouldn't listen, he had had enough with the details and just got it out, "Anna, I just don't want you, can't you see? _I never_ _wanted_ _you_. You are a dead weight _in my heart._ I should have dropped you when I had the first chance, but I couldn't bear to deal with my family's reaction if they heard I wanted to abandon a soon-to-be mother!"

This was going too far, her heart was ripping in two "You don't mean that." she whispered, too scared to comprehend his words.

"I only pretended," he sighed. "You know my family is tight. They wouldn't allow our kids to be raised without me, let alone without them. I had to take you in and, by God, I hated every minute of it!"

This sprung new tears to her eyes. _How could he say such terrible things? After all they have been through, he seemed so happy and loving. Was it all a lie after all?_

* * *

A few months later after scrounging up what she could to sell, Anna managed to save up enough money to hire a lawyer. The fees these days were so impeccably high she literally had to get rid of everything even remotely valuable. It even included her classical guitar her grandfather had left her before he passed away. She would do whatever it took to be able to raise her own kids. Even if they had to share custody she would be happy with every precious second she got with them.

Fate, however, was ugly and cruel. Using her past depression as a weapon and the load of money from Robert's family they had, without falter, won the case and robbed Anna of her most valuable blessings. Her one true joy in her life: Her sweet innocent children. Now there was not even a glimmer of hope in seeing them for her visitation rights were somehow overruled. His family wanted her to disappear entirely. Corruption and grief had finally taken over her life and she had nothing left. No purpose. No reason to live.

Anna had run out of spirit, with the last shove of the courtroom officer, she left the building in a daze. The light outside was blinding but she felt no different. Her world was closing in around her in a shell of darkness. The depression was seeping in through her mental wall. Anna was losing herself again but one hundred fold this time, which she might not ever recover from.

 _I couldn't even say goodbye_. The thought left her feeling hollow and sick enough to vomit next to the building, receiving disapproving looks and a few 'tsks' from the jurors who were leaving after her. _No one has damn heart in this world!_ She cried to herself.

Her rage and numb mind forced her to do the only thing she could think of which was get in her car and drive. Just drive. Anywhere but here, anywhere off this forsaken planet if she could! Her tank was full from the morning fill. She hadn't even eaten yet because she wanted to save her money for gas and take the kids out to celebrate her still at least being a mom, even if she never got the chance to be a part of a complete family. That's all that really mattered to her. Now she has nothing but the few dollars she had left to her name. The last of her worth could fit in her pocket.

It was nearing sunset and after what seemed like an eternity of driving Anna had still felt the hate at her back. No amount of driving or running away could extinguish this horrid grief that was plaguing her soul. She felt like her life had been forfeit the moment that awful gavel struck.

Trees lined the highway now, the air as fresh and crisp as spring; dew still clung to the needles on the trees. Rows and rows of forest now covered the hills and lands, which before would offer her comfort, but now she didn't bother to notice. All she could see was the last of her will buried in her glove box. A last ditch effort to escape the pain, she entertained the idea. Her depression was eager to have given her the thought from the start and she no longer felt the pull to avoid siding with it. She was on the deep end of her manic by now. The rage was temporarily gone and what remained was a vast dead field of desolation.

The engine sputtered at last as the last drops of fuel emptied the tank, making her pull over coincidentally by a hidden path in the woods. Feeling herself being drawn towards the path, she stopped the car just as it died out and pulled the hand brake up with a bit of effort. She felt much weaker since her self-pep talk in the mirror this morning. Anna was astonished she had even said such words of encouragement to herself in that very same day now that all hope was lost. She felt like a fool to believe in herself. Money got you places in the world today, not love.

In an eerily calm manner she opened the glove box and pulled out the object, looking it over long and hard. With nothing left to lose she tucked it away in her pocket and got out of the beat up car. She had sold her last newer model in attempt to save although it didn't get her much more than she had expected to.

Looking past the car, Anna's empty gaze followed the trail before it lost sight behind a bend of trees and brush. The pull was beckoning her now to follow it and she gave in without a second thought.

* * *

Shooting upright from her sleep, Galadriel's face was beaded with sweat. Celeborn awoke to sense her distraught as she recalled the events of her dreams knowing they were all too real.

"There is a life source words cannot describe. A power in the East is forming too great to deny.." Her eyes widened, "Something is coming.."

* * *

Anna was walking deeper into the woods. The trees grew thicker and twisted, often blocking the path yet she remained true to its course. Sounds in the night would have made anyone's hairs stand on end but she didn't even notice. Not a care was left in her small, small, world. What was the point in reacting, it wouldn't make her survival any more ensured, not that she wanted to anyway.

No matter how she tried to keep them at bay her thoughts still wandered in flashes of harsh memory. Her father stopped taking her calls, her grandmother no longer believed in her strong little granddaughter, her mother even outright refused to be there for her, saying she had much more important matters at hand. Her friends slowly vanished from her reach, her boss nitpicked everything about her and made her work the worst hours and pushed her to her limits until one day she planted false evidence against her and leveraged it towards her removal. The people she viewed as her true family pushed her out and Robert's family never showed their colors until the testified against her in court. She was alone in this world and it was very cold.

 _Why was the world full of so much hate?_ She started to cry again, shivering as the night brought on a chill. She didn't even have her jacket with her. Nothing was according to plan. Not one thing in her life was developing; as they should after all the time, hard work and stress she put herself through.

Anna continued to sob to herself and thought about getting her jacket from her car. She half-heartedly turned around to head back but immediately stopped. _The trail.. I was just on it but somehow it's gone!_ "Of course!" She yelled to the tops of the trees, "it just HAS to be ME!" Anger enveloped her chest as she picked up and threw strange looking pinecones at the trees, she didn't care what they were, so long as they broke.

* * *

"Legolas," King Thranduil called his son's name when he heard the light footfalls at the entrance to his chamber.

"Mani uma lle merna, Adar?" Legolas said straightforwardly. His father would only have beckoned for him if it were something urgent this early in the morning. (What do you want, father?)

"Something disturbs our borders, can you sense it? It is.." he sought the wording, "a _new_ power that has grown in only a matter of moments." His expression darkened, "One without a source. Tread carefully and I shall send guards to follow. For now, I have other matters to attend." He returned to his desk to continue writing on what appeared to be a new treaty regarding the old alliances of elves and men after the One Ring was destroyed. It has been nearly a decade since it's destruction and men now called for a new alliance after some years of discussing the less modern arrangements being in need of refurbishing.

* * *

Her emotions were still very raw and rampant as they changed like the tides of the sea. The depression was throttling her senses and made her lash out again and again, causing some disturbance in the distance.

Pausing for a brief moment Anna barely had a clear enough mind to understand that she was drawing attention to herself. It felt oddly good to know something cared enough to move from her reaction, however not as good since it was in a strange looking forest in the middle of the night.

Giving up on finding what made the movement, Anna sat down and leaned her side next to a tree and pulled out the object from her pocket. The shiny keychain Swiss Army knife glinted in the moonlight, making her daze off in its reflection. She didn't feel so afraid of opening it now. With a click, she extended the fresh blade. She then recalled why she had bought it in the first place: As a mother she always feared for the worst, especially in these recent times where you never knew what would happen no matter the time of day. Nothing was ever certain anymore.

"As a mother.." her voice wavered, repeating her thoughts, unaware of the lurker watching in the trees. _A mother, no more.._

* * *

Her frame was small yet looked slightly toned as it shook in the night and her hair was a beautiful faded brown with natural waves falling to the middle of her back. He was taken aback by how she had said, 'as a mother.' _Was someone this young capable of bearing children?_ He wondered. She barely looked older than 19, from what he could see, however it was in her large almond shaped eyes he could sense wisdom beyond her years.

Her face was damp with freshly fallen tears and it made his heart hurt to hear her speak of children with so much pain in her words along with what she had displayed earlier. _What has happened to this mysterious lady of the night and if she is in fact a mother then where are her children?_ He wondered with caution.

Slowly, Anna tipped the edge of the knife's point to her wrist and just lightly touched it, drawing a single bead of blood. It was very sharp. Good for a clean cut to get it over with.

Getting a better grip on the handle and taking a deep breath, she forced the blade to make a deep incision when suddenly a strong pair of arms wrapped around her from behind and grabbed her wrists to firmly hug them to her chest. Startled at the presence of another being Anna made a sharp gasp as the knife fell from her. He was already too late as it had nicked a row of veins and drew a pulse of fresh blood across her clothes and the damp earth. The blood was flowing quickly and the man made haste to make a tourniquet with his large hand if only the woman wasn't fighting back.

"Get off of me!" She hissed, the blood flowed painfully with each movement. She was desperate this time for the end and didn't wish to be saved at all. Still, he held tight, with her back to his chest and his light breath in her ear.

"Be calm, my lady!" He managed to say before she elbowed him with her other arm, breaking her uninjured wrist out and reached for the knife. Already sensing her move, he grabbed her around the waist and jumped them back away from the knife, holding onto the struggling woman.

"No!" She cried and fought until the blood that had fallen had drained her of strength, making her legs give out and fall into him as her head went back. Her body fit perfectly against his warm embrace as he sat her down, lying against him. He made sure to keep his hand in a firm lock over her bleeding wound however he was worried she wouldn't make it to the healers in time.

A few guards came through the clearing and waited for his order, "Asca! Give me a strip of clothe." (Hurry!) Upon doing so he released his hold on her arm to tie the cloth above her elbow, her fresh blood dripped to the floor at a much slower rate. Another guard tore a cloth from his shirt to wrap around the wound, seeing this female seemed important to Legolas.

Looking through a gap in the trees high above Anna saw a brilliant night sky with an array of stars she had never noticed before. It was strange and yet very beautiful. The last thing she remembered was the warmth of his cheek on her forehead and the sweet smell of his neck before all had faded to black.

He was losing time, he realized, as her face fell against his in unconsciousness. Picking up her lifeless form from behind the knees, the other arm at her back, he ran with his accompaniment back through the forest towards his home. It was lucky the spiders were on the decline ever since the era of the ring was fading into history, so their path was unchallenged as they quickly made way.


	2. Chapter 2

Anna's Requiem, Chapter 2

Looking into her pool, Galadriel saw what it was that had awakened her. She was surprised to see a girl, no older than her thirties, walking in a mourning daze. Her face was beautiful and yet bore a sign of wearied tears and suppressed anguish.

Albeit her life was still new she was nearing her end, the lady of the woods could feel it. As if on cue, the scene changed to show the girl trying to end her life only to be interrupted by a woodland elf.

Her brow rose before the scene changed again to show Legolas running with her in his arms for the healer's room. She was surprised to see such a look of concern he had for this mortal for he knew her life would never reach the fraction of the lifespan of an elf. Nevertheless he was determined to make her hold on for at least until the natural end of hers.

* * *

He placed her carefully on the bed and spoke quickly with the healer present as he unwound her makeshift bandage while holding her arm firmly. The healer incanted words of healing and protection while preparing a salve for the wound, "Tanka tel' taurnin, Vara tel' Seldarine," and glazed it upon the seam, then immediately wrapped it again in fresh cloth. The cut, albeit deep, was repairable as the salve had a mixture of natural antibiotics and healing herbs, which were good for severed veins. The elf never questioned who the lady was or why she had one clean cut along her arm while the rest of her remained unscathed.

Legolas put an ear closer to her softly fading life. It was barely audible as she was on the journey to death. He couldn't understand why he cared for the life of this mortal he had only met, however there was no time to spare for such thoughts now.

He took her unhurt hand in his and placed his other upon her forehead and closed his eyes, "Khila amin go cuil, mellanomin. Lothron al naeg hebin gûr cuin."(Follow me together in life, my friend. May no pain keep [your] heart [from beating])

The hours moved on and she still lay asleep. Her heart was holding but weak and sometimes missing beats. The time stretched and Legolas waited for her to awaken. He silently asked for Valar to guide her safely whichever way fate meant for her to travel for it was no longer in his hands.

* * *

Thranduil stood at the doorway, watching his son entranced by the creature. He didn't enjoy seeing him care so much for the girl but since the immense energy he felt earlier had dissipated he saw no reason to pull him away from her side at this moment. He would later have her questioned for straying into his woods when she recovered. She held a strong aura about her and the King knew it would be a matter of time before she would awake. He estimated a few days at the least. With that he turned away and strode to the council room for a brief meeting with the border guards to question what they might have seen the previous night. It was too late in the morning to retreat to his quarters and besides he wanted to figure out the meaning in the strange influx of energy within his own forest.

* * *

The elf saw that the small lady's arm was accepting the herbs gratefully as her wound looked much better than it had when she first arrived that very early morning.

Being a lady she was assigned a handmaiden to help clean up the excess of spilt blood upon her skin. Her outlandish clothes were soaked through and would need to be sent off to the rushing waters to be carefully washed and dried before they started to stick to her skin.

First, the elleth started with her strange footwear. They were no match for the lands of Middle Earth as they only came up below her ankle and just above the toes, leaving the top of her feet prone to injury, a point made when they easily came off. Her pants, on the other hand, had proven to be difficult to remove, as they were quite tight at the hips, which she discovered was due to an unfamiliar metal contraption in the front.

Once she had those off she then carefully worked with the lady's tunic. The outer layer was a nice feeling material with padding in the shoulders and open in the front with a single button at the waist. Under that, her short-sleeved tunic oddly revealed her shoulders yet had a high boat neck and cut outs in the back that looked like rays of the sun. Besides the color of the drying blood, the shirt had a beautiful bright hue to it that made the elleth gasp. She had never seen this color before but it reminded her of a mixture between small spring flowers and an illuminant sun. The outer layer was light and see-through and underneath was a silky attached tunic that didn't flow nearly as much.

The tunic took longer to remove as the handmaiden was careful to not disturb the lady's wound, but once she was through with that she stared in confusion at the next thing she saw tightly sculpting the girl's bosom. _This will not be easy_ , the elleth thought.

After a while of working the elleth was satisfied to now see the young lady peacefully resting in fine Lothlorien sleeping garbs after carefully washing her skin with the wonderfully scented soaps of her people. Now, she can remain in bed and heal comfortably.

* * *

Her lips were parched and her head was thrumming with every pulse of her weak heart. The pain made her lay still and her eyes stayed closed to give her some time to figure out what on earth had happened to her and where she could possibly be. It was hard to focus her thoughts, her memories felt blurred and askew. Too disorganized were the hazed images so she let it be and remained resting. She even kept her eyes closed because the room seemed awfully dark anyway. _How long was I out for?_

The room was quiet for a while until she heard someone enter, though they walked without much noise. If she were breathing just slightly louder then she doubted she would have heard them at all. The person, with remarkably smooth hands, gently lifted her left arm to remove the wraps and examine it. _Ah, something happened to it.. That's right,_ she thought, though she couldn't recall what.

She suddenly felt a cool paste being applied to her skin and it smelled fragrant like some unfamiliar herbs but it did wonders on the slightly building pain in her arm. _Hmm, this is a strange hospital.. homeopathic remedies? That's new_ she thought to herself as the elf then rewrapped her arm in fresh cloth before leaving to dispose of the old one.

Nothing seemed familiar to her. No beeping sounds, or beds on wheels, not even the usual hospital chit-chat. In fact, all she could hear were distant birds chirping on a breeze and the faintest sound of.. singing? Maybe the window was open and someone was playing it from their car in the parking lot outside. Wherever it came from it sounded like nothing she heard before and she hoped it wouldn't stop, it was beautiful.

* * *

Although she was being quiet now the elf has already suspected she was awake by her light change in breathing pattern. He decided to go inform the prince who was not keen on leaving her side: very odd behavior to have towards a mortal. Perhaps she had played a part in the prince's journeys and they made a friendship along the way. Mentally waving off the curiosity, the elf decided it was best to not pry in royal affairs, for it was indecent.

Legolas was in his study looking through books upon books, mostly dealing with the recollections of men. He had already written a letter for Lady Galadriel knowing she might have sensed something was amiss as his father spoke of this new power that came and left in a matter of moments.

He looked up to hear someone coming to his door and opened it before they could speak, knowing it was the healer who took care of the girl. There were only two reasons the elf would personally approach him and judging that he was not in remorse he safely assumed the lady has awoken. With a short nod, Legolas understood that she has indeed pulled through.

"She will be given nourishment and peace to rest," Stated Legolas, however they rarely turned down a creature in need of those things, unless they were an unwelcomed guest, of course.

"As you wish," the healer bowed and turned back down the hall.

* * *

After a while of analyzing her pains and testing her mobility, Anna found it was only her arm that bore most of the burden and the rest of her body was merely tired. _Was I in a car accident?_ Thinking about her car for a bit she remembered a piece of information: _No, I had run out of gas_ _and pulled over, but where? How did I get injured?_ Somehow the memory would not come.

It was all an emotional blur as if her subconscious was putting up a wall to protect her from something that had caused her to get hurt like this. Not being able to access it was scaring her. _It must have been really bad to cause a mental block like this._

A noise stirred. Someone is here, but how and when they arrived so quietly was beyond her. Were they watching her? She assessed who might have figured out she was in the hospital and would have cared enough to watch over her in her supposed sleep but alas her memory would not grasp it.

She slowly opened her eyes, already adjusted to the dark. Though tired, she managed to make out a torch lit amongst the wall. _Strange.._ she hesitated. As they began to focus better Anna looked over to where she saw slight movement. There was someone there, quietly reading a leather bound book. They had long silver hair and a beautiful sharp nose. That was as far as she could tell before she became tired from the effort.

A little flutter of a page being turned peaked her interest again, for she knew no one with those features she saw. Perhaps they were someone who got her here and stood by to make sure she was alright? Or what if they were the person who had caused the accident? _No, no.. they would be at the police station being interrogated, for sure._ _Just who were they?_

Lifting her head again she found she was discovered as her eyes met his icy blue stare. _So it's a man, then?_ In recognition of her being awake he stood up and walked to her bedside before softly saying, "I came upon you within the borders of our woodland home, right before you.." Her expression showed that this was news to her, so he carefully chose his words to not startle her, "before you were injured."

 _So he had found her._ "Thank you, um.." Her voice was rough from the lack of use.

"Legolas, Son of Thranduil. May I have the pleasure of learning your name, as well?" He kindly smiled while gesturing with his hand towards her.

She nervously returned the smile, "Anna."

This was getting more ridiculous by the moment. The whole scene seemed so odd in a sense, and it made her fairly uncomfortable. No one talked to her like that before; it all seemed so formal and alluring. This new person spoke with a light accent and held an incomparable grace about him yet something about his age seemed very off. He seemed like he was several years beyond her and yet looked no older than a college kid.

Another thing seemed very strange about this 'Legolas,' too. He had given a slight bow to her as he said his name and that was when his hair moved off his shoulder enough to draw her eyes towards his beautifully pointed ears.

She couldn't stop looking at their peculiar shape. _Was this a goth kid/elf wanna-be? Like, hardcore enough to get plastic surgery?_ _It would definitely explain the unnatural appearance of youth. If so, they did a fantastic job!_ She was impressed.

Her incessant stare gained notice as his expression changed to interest, "Have you not seen an elf before this day, Lady Anna?"

"Elf..?" She choked. Okay, this kid actually believed he was an elf.. And he was the only connection she had so far as to why she was in this.. hospital-ish room.

Now that she thought about it, scanning the room.. She didn't see any of the usual layouts of a hospital room at all. This setting was more like that of a basement..

 _OH, GOD.._ She panicked. _It was all starting to make sense, now: She was in the basement of a psychopath.._ She looked him dead in the eyes with newfound dread, as he gently smiled at her, _and he is my kidnapper._

 **Short apology for the choppy elven speech, I had difficulty finding the right wording/phrases to match what I wanted them to say. Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

Anna's Requiem Chapter 3

He had done it.. It was over. He chose his kids and stood by his family's side, even though it had killed his heart to do it. Robert's family never liked Anna. She was too carefree and happy, regardless of her spread out family. They never talked to her much, let alone cared, yet she always managed to smile through anything and still be so _genuine_ towards everyone she met. One of the most treasured attributes of her personality, to him, was how strong she was.

She was a diamond in the rough and betraying her through skin-deep lies and a figurative punch to the gut was not easy for him to do. He also couldn't shake away the heavy burden the guilt had accumulated over the last month since that court date.. Since the horrible date, ingrained in his mind forever, of her disappearance.

It had taken the police two weeks to find her car, after receiving an anonymous call from a worried Robert when he didn't see her return to their abandoned house the night after. He figured that's where she would go since she didn't have a place or a job yet and she had painfully saved all her money to fight for custody. He left the house on purpose so she would have a place to sleep and even left a large sum of money in an envelope in their mailbox. He was a fool to think she would take it but he didn't know what else to do. He really did love her but without the aid of his family, then they would face the harsh world alone and no one would survive.

The world was becoming more and more bitter by the day. Every place you go would charge you just for walking in the door or picking up the phone. Everyone was struggling for money and now the status gap was so large that you either had money or didn't and turned to a hard life of homelessness, selling drugs or yourself on the streets, thievery, and eventually a criminal record. No one escaped that fate. No one.

As for the trial, the whole thing was rigged and he felt bad for her from behind his mask. His family was like the mafia, they were always right and they always got what they wanted. The moment they decided they didn't like her he knew their happy ending was never going to be and he was scared for her safety. Their relationship was always so harshly scrutinized that he did what he could to bring her joy and love from his heart while he still had the time to, lucky to even be allowed that pleasure even though he knew it wasn't forever.

He looked down now at the ring he had bought for her months before any of this mess had ever started. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered the police reports from after finding her car. They found a trail beside it that seemed to go on for a while before it disappeared entirely behind a bend. They found her blood beside a tree. A great deal of it, like a pool, but soaked into the earth. On top looked like there was a struggle with a blood stained pocketknife. The same one he knew Anna kept in the glove department for security.

They believed she might have struggled with a wild animal because they had found her footprints and another set of prints that had been dusted over in her fight. They searched the surrounding area only to find her necklace caught on a bush within a mile radius of the blood. With the lack of evidence for her survival, she was deemed dead and the case was closed.

The house, that he switched to her name, and the car were then salvaged by the government and any remnants of Anna was now lost forever, as if she never existed. The only true proof Robert now held was his two precious children where he could see her eyes shining back at him. His heart ached beyond belief for her comfort but also found peace in their presence. Her necklace was the one thing he was able to keep so he passed that down to his daughter Sophia and decided to only tell his children tales of their mother being the most beautiful strong spirit there was, who never took sides and did what was right in the world of so much wrong. She did not go down without a fight, or so he wished hard to believe.

* * *

Her head spun at the possibilities of her assessment. The weirdo, Legolas (if that was even a real name) and the fair-handed "healer," named Nestarion, who originally treated her wound, both now claimed to be elves and insisted she stayed in bed to eat and recover or else they would be forced to strap her down. Being sort of claustrophobic she decided to comply.. _for now._

A month had already passed but it felt like forever. Her wound was looking very healthy and the pain was minimal enough to go without much more medicine. Her ease was not by much as she was only allowed to walk outside in the medicinal herb garden, which was just beside her "healing room."

She felt somewhat like Alice in Wonderland however she didn't care how magical the place was she wanted to get out of this nightmare and recall those most recent memories she had lost before the accident. The whole thing was a nightmare but she did her best to suppress her feelings so to not alert any more attention than she had already received, which nauseated her slightly. I mean, of course she did _like_ the idea of people talking and acting so eloquently around each other but she new it was all a farce and completely unrealistic. She was too used to a world dominated by behaviors that were anything _but_ kind and wistful.

* * *

Legolas was worried for the mortal. He knew she had a fair act of accepting their hospitalities, however he knew better as he was the one who witnessed her trying to end her own life. He was unsure, however, if she remembered cutting herself and their fight over her life, let alone the events leading up to it. For now, she only seemed anxious by her lack of knowledge of the existence of his people while residing here in the meantime.

He knew that by the time she fully recovered he would still not feel well about the interrogation his father had proposed they conduct with her or even releasing her back to her people. She seemed to not even know where it is she hailed from, he discovered after he had asked her:

" _I'm from Boston, Mass."_ She abbreviated, thinking he would know it meant Massachusetts. Instead of what she expected in his reaction, he had suddenly looked confused and muttered something about never noticing such a place on the maps before. When he tried to ask which direction that was, her only reply was even more odd, "oh, you know, I95 South." [She thought she was still further north in the woods somewhere]

He felt like she was either crazy or perhaps from another world, the way it came from her so naturally. She also said that she had _driven_ here by her old _Jeep_. Feeling slightly confused by, not only her unworldly accent, but also her strange diction and mannerisms, he decided to leave it be and allow her to wander on her own between her room and the garden. He would look into it another time for he was expecting a guest to perhaps sort things out for him.

* * *

The Lady of the Woods did not make habit to stray from Lothlorien, however this was a particularly important reason. Her travels were delayed until she could foresee a safe passage to Mirkwood, as not all evil was gone from the world, let alone the shaded path through the woods of Thranduil's Kingdom. There was also the factor of the King himself, being that she was not quite fond of his ways however she didn't mind his ruling either. He cared for his people deeply and that was a quality anyone would wish from their leader.

As she glided without a mark upon the forest floor she came upon the subtle energy of the King's only heir. She sensed he was close and softly spoke with her mind, _Legolas.._

The back on his neck prickled as she spoke with him, overwhelming him with gathered thought and a force of energy they had all felt the same night of the lady's appearance. Her name was not of this land nor was her very soul. It was her life force that disturbed Galadriel's dreams. She was no ordinary girl.

* * *

 _I have to get out of this nuthouse, but_ how?! Sitting around was not helping Anna's nerves one bit. This place was starting to eat away at her patience. Everything was peaceful and calm which made Anna's anxiety sharp and by nightfall her depression was deeper. She was in trouble.

Taking one more look at the perfect leaves of the plant before her something struck her as odd once more. _The leaves are perfect._ _Not one insect nibbled on them and they didn't even use chemicals?_ _UGH, what is up with this place!_ She had had enough. No more games, this was all so ridiculous. She was getting out and God; help her, she was getting out tonight.

Making her way back to her room and picked out a long sleeved shirt, tied the bottom to form a sack and would later use the sleeves as something to sling over her back and tie in the front with one sleeve over her shoulder and the other from under her arm. She quickly packed a few things in it before sliding it under the bed and sat down before the healer came to her door with food.

After he had left she took out some fresh large leaves from the herb garden, not really sure what their uses were, and hoping they were harmless she took the food and carefully wrapped them and place them into her makeshift bag. Luckily dinnertime meant that everyone was gathered in the dining halls and she would be left on her own.

They didn't believe her to be a threat after some time of maintaining the same boring routine of eating, walking, and sleeping. She even attempted some reading but found it was all uselessly in another language she couldn't recognize, so she requested some paper and a pen to doodle with. To her dismay she received some rough parchment and a quill with some ink (after a while of trying to understand what it was she wanted). _They're taking this whole roleplaying scheme a bit too lightly,_ she thought with sarcasm.

She peaked around the corner of the hall to her room and when she saw no one was around she made a break for it. Dodging around obstacles and pedestals, she made her way through some twisting tunnels and decided to try for any exit, which was anything that goes UP and OUT.

Her heart was pounding and hoped no one would catch her sneaking off. She purposely wore the shortest dress she could find, which still annoyingly touched the ground near the back, but at least it wasn't layered so much and was light as a feather. She also chose lightweight boots that reached above her knees. It was a rather odd combination and wasn't so bad when she added a matching leather jacket she swiped with a tie that wrapped her waist a few times. She couldn't seem to find the right word for pants for some odd reason. _You would think that would be in their vocabulary but with how they talked with her their words seemed very old fashioned. Maybe they had another word for it?_

Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard laughter coming around a bend in her direction, making her freeze in place. Looking around she saw her exit ahead but quickly opted for a dark corner to hide in and just as she stepped in a small child with pointed ears came running and giggling past her, followed closely by what appeared to be its father with matching features. The scene was so familiar it made her head swim and her heart lurch in her chest. She felt sick all of a sudden and after they disappeared she went running full speed to greet her escape at last.

* * *

Thranduil ate his dinner with a lack of appetite. His guest had proven to be difficult, as she seemed to not be able to give him any information he desired. Nestarion claimed she did not possess knowledge up to this point, most likely by shock from blood loss, or what have you, for the sake of Valar, she could not even recall her own name after a month! This woman's presence deemed to be foreboding.

She was already slipping into his dreams and twisted them into surreal possibilities of the paths ahead. He would be in a blurred distant future where his son was wed and with a child at last, the peak of the King's pride to see a successful new heir. The child was running towards someone calling out _Nana!_ The woman turns and her face is familiar.. _the stranger from the woods._ How could this be? Wasn't she mortal?

He shook the thought solemnly from his mind. It wasn't possible; she was a human, he told himself, though the feeling was only brief. He was not entirely certain what she was at all.

* * *

Legolas stood silently for a moment trying to grasp what he had just heard _and seen._ His suspicion he had been pushing aside was confirmed; this girl that he had been caring for is indeed not of this world.

She was a rare essence of both the light and dark. The light was her birthright however the dark was corrupted into her being from her past world and kept her true self locked away and threatened her life. Her previous actions had started to make sense but not entirely. What had come from her world to corrupt her so and how did she travel into Middle Earth? It appeared she was angry about something and when she tried to kill herself she seemed instantaneously detached just after he felt a deep overwhelming sadness.

The strange lady was mumbling about losing something so dear to her and that she could not live without them. They were her purpose to life and without them she had nothing left. After the incident she showed no such emotions and it puzzled the prince. If they were so precious then why not remember them? What was holding her back from fighting to find them again?

That was the least of the elf's concerns for Galadriel had told him of a new darkness growing in Middle Earth. An evil that would devour all life and leave Middle Earth a forsaken waste land, one that would not be defeated by anything or anyone. That is, anyone from _this_ Earth.

..And that one hope had just left the safe confines of Mirkwood.


	4. Chapter 4

Anna's Requiem

Chapter 4

The woods were mysterious and growing dark. Anna had been dragging her feet uninterrupted for quite some time which came to her. If this elf-impersonating impostor was even remotely telling the truth then his agile 'elfly' counterparts would surely have the unmatched hunting and tracking skills necessary to locate her then grab her by the ear and heave her back to their pristine earthy basement like a strict mother to her misbehaved child. Creeps. They took cosplay just a step too far for her tastes. Where the hell was she? These trees are not any breed she's ever seen before. Or at least she thought from what she could remember anyway. Having a lack of memory was still proving to be unnerving for her. She knew for certain they were just freaks and that made her feel slightly better, after having just debunked them being literal elves with their elvish senses. It has been hours since she sneaked away and most likely no one has even noticed! She knew he was so full of shit but she never hinted those feelings when he was around. It was best they believe her to be cooperative in order for her escape to be less expected and therefore less hindered.

The day was long past it's end now bringing along a deeper chilled night, the darkness spiked an internal emotion she wasn't aware of possessing. She felt more than just afraid. It was a paralyzing fear that could have only stemmed from one's childhood. Not a good sign when recovering one's memories. Anna felt less certain she even wanted to remember. Her last episode she luckily was alone in the garden and she had a sensation that she had given up something important. That she.. lost? Then she felt sick to her stomach and turned down her meal before heading to her bed for an early and quite sleepless night.

The looming thick and tall trees surrounding Anna didn't make her phobia any better. Shivers traveled down her back and made her feet feel jumpy and her mind a little unhinged. Shit just got real. As the night filled the sky the atmosphere also gave way to a chilled gloom. Anna's eyes dilated and she tripped now and again on bared roots and new sticky shrubs, scratching and pulling the floor length dress she was forced to wear. Her phobias she knew not the names of began to sink into her core. At least she had boots and for that she was grateful. For being held captive things could have been much worse, at least these weirdo's were oddly decent towards her. They seemed surprised at her when she questioned their generosity though she scoffed when she saw the style of the dress. They wanted her to play along as if she was a little kid role playing during recess or was some renaissance fair enthusiast. No offense intended, it just wasn't her thing. Unfortunately, it seemed to be the only clothing they had on hand they considered "'Appropriate for a lady,' oh deary me!"

Her stepped slowed over time as she began to hum to herself, a last ditch effort to keep her spirits up, old tunes from the grave left her lips in a quiet song in the night. She liked the classics that had become infinitely set to rerun and off air. No one except the privileged could afford the luxury of fresh entertainment. Anyone below the vast space between wealthy and poor could only get music from the underground and even that wasn't cheap to get. Anna loved anything in the arts so naturally she was headstrong in getting her hands on old movies and music albums. Even a few foreign flicks were fun to sing to. She couldn't recall everything at once but somehow at least one song came through the haze in her mind..

"God.. our heavenly father

Oh God, and my father

Who is also in heavenj

May the light, of this flickering candle.."

She swallowed and took a shuddered breath in the chill, a small puff escaping her lips when she sang,

"Illuminate the night the way

Your spirit illuminates my soul..

Papa, can you hear me?

Papa, can you see me?

Papa, can you find me in the night..?"

The lyrics came to her in fragments by this point. She paused in her walking and found a small clearing for her to sit for a moment. Looking up through the canopy of dense trees to a patch of brilliant stars, making her gasp aloud, she had never recalled there being so many! Through this beautiful view she found the courage to continue..

"Looking at the skies

I seem to see a million eyes

which ones are yours?

Where are you now that yesterday

has waved goodbye

and closed it's doors?

The night is so much darker

The wind is so much colder

The world I see is so much bigger

Now that I'm.. alone.."

A tear escaped the corner of her eye yet she continued to stare, the lyrics couldn't fit this moment in time any better although instead of her father it was her identity which was dead. An identity which seemed all too scary to even learn about considering the state she was found in. Her vision blurred as she lowered her sight to a path ahead. She took out some of the food she had carefully wrapped and ate just a few bites, still curious how such small morsels could be so filling.

She took this moment to sift through the song she had just recalled and all the other memories she had gained over time. They were scattered and broken pieces to a mirror, nothing large enough to see herself in or make out what it was she was looking at. They gave off a dark sense of foreboding, leaving her feeling like she would break the moment she learned their full meaning. She probed a little deeper when suddenly..

"Aaahhhhhh!" She cried, covering her ears. The pain was terrible! It clouded her vision until all she could see was a flood of images. Familiar faces blinded her, children laughing as they played, a man was yelling, a woman was crying out loud, it was her crying! The feeling of life being sucked from her soul was overwhelming. "Make it stop! No more, no more!" She begged to herself in a heap on the forest floor. Everything was hurting, her heart was tearing, her life was shrinking.. the image of a glint of a knife in her hand. Her knife. Her hand. She couldn't have..

Legolas POV

With this daunting discovery now on his shoulders, Legolas felt compelled to seek out his guest. He hoped she had slept better tonight. As of late she had yet to do so and he wondered if her dreams were perhaps being plagued by glimpses of her memory. She always avoided the topic and never divulged any progress, as if she were scared of what it might be. He was also aware she didn't trust him, or anyone in his kingdom, for that matter. Like it or not, they would very soon need her help for what was about to come that they could not even see.

He made a short trip of the walk to her chambers and knocked, "My lady, are you awake and well this morning?" No reply so he tried again, "My lady, it is I Legolas, are you awake?" Again, no answer. The third time he was about to know he realized the door fell open slightly. This bothered him because he knew it was ordered by the king to keep it locked whenever she kept occupied the room, which was now above the infirmary. He quietly pushed the door the remainder of the way open, in case she were sleeping and no one remembered to keep it locked, however what he found startled him. No one was there.

He made quick work to search the room thoroughly then left to seek out the nearest guard and ask him in elvish, "Have you seen the human who occupied the room above our healing chambers?"

The elf with slightly darker hair replied, "No, your highness. I haven't recalled any human present in this part of our woods in quite some time. The last I saw her she was keeping herself busy wrapping food in leaves, saying she wanted to show you what she learned about keeping food fresh for your travels." At this information Legolas grew alarmed. This could only mean the Lady has made efforts to flee the safety of their borders. It was a un-wise that she had gone without a word of his father's permission however it was even more pressing that she had decided to travel without an escort.

She couldn't have gone far, the last he checked on her was merely yesterday, however Legolas knew there was a chance she would know her way about protecting herself. That chance died considerably given her state of a lack-of-knowing-oneself. He refused to believe anyone wounded would have the courage to test their state of healing by fleeing so suddenly but with a mental illness, who could say? She was a ticking time bomb and he wasn't about to leave her to her own devices in case something were to go horribly wrong. His feeling of loss towards her absence surprised him. She was a mortal! How would his father react if he knew what Legolas had just felt only a moment ago. His mind determined all possibilities but only one seamed feasible enough. She had indeed fled but where could she have gone to?


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: I forgot to mention the song in the previous chapter is from a movie, sung by Barbara Streisand, called Yentl, one of my favorites I used to watch with my mom when I was growing up.**

Chapter 5

The back of her mind rang warning bells after sitting for a moment. Her last tear grazed down her left cheek before her face began to dry, the salt sticking stray hairs to her face. Shaking her head from the new onslaught of terrifying images, she realized she had been sitting for quite some time. I should get moving, this 'Legolas' character should have noticed my absence by now and with my luck will be on the hunt to find me again!

She stood up and made to walk when another wave of pain crashed into her temples from both sides. Could feeling alone with a combination of panic have triggered it? Her body froze up and she clenched her head as she fell to her knees and heaved everything she had just eaten. She couldn't recall eating so much, it was strange. Nothing made sense anymore! She was tired of these games, the unfamiliar forest, her sanity being questioned by her and other healer elves who stood by. According to Legolas, among all the elves, diseases and physical ailments outside the war were unheard of.. You either die in battle or you sail with your kin. That was why she was always the center of attention as one of their guests. They heard of men succumbing to their emotions after battle. A sickness of the mind, they called it. The elves have never witnessed such a phenomenon first hand.

She sat up only to receive another wave of nausea and a roaring pain seared until she could see no more, bringing her beyond her threshold. A scream choked up her throat and a horrible sound could be heard spreading through the trees, her surroundings seemingly started as the leaves shook and fell. She froze up as soon as her airway became tangled into her nerves, not knowing the sound was coming from her in a cacophony of energy that pulsated with it. Everything seized up and spots dotted her vision before she took one too many breaths and her mind throttled her vision before she collapsed face-down on the earthen floor. The cold began seeping into her very core without mercy.

xoxoxo

Off in the distance, Legolas heard a troubling sound he was all too familiar with, one he would never imagining hearing again from so long ago. This prompted him to hasten his search with what was soon becoming near desperation. She would not survive the wild. Not in this state. With a lean arm he ordered his men to branch out in several directions, mainly towards where they heard her heart wrenching cries that unnaturally cut off. During their hunt he had also witnessed an eminent thrust of power cascading through the wood. It started him, and his men, but they never faltered in their elvenly-agile search, weaving through branches shrub and their territorial bark-laden forest.

He all but sprinted in his foremost guess at her location until he reached what he believed was near where she should be when her outcry had arrested. All was calm as he ground to a halt, nearly tripping on an unexpected mound of what he thought was a slain creature's flesh. He quickly stepped off, making it strangely jiggle as he did so. Peering below where his foot used to be he looked closer to realize, with an embarrassing start, that it was none other than one cheek to a sublimely perfect feminine arse!

xoxoxo

Anna's head was pounding as she moaned slowly awake, a ray of sunlight landing precisely on her face. She made to rest an arm over her face when she discovered she couldn't move. In what should have been a panic she sluggishly pulled at her arms and legs, not knowing why her body contradicted her need to sit up. Cracking open an eye she painfully looked down and saw the bindings around both her wrists and assumed the same conclusion had befallen her ankles. It wasn't until she tried thinking about where she currently was when a giggle bubbled out from her lips. I'm "home!" She sarcastically thought to herself, however feeling very strange and not too concerned about her predicament. She knew she should have been worried and disgusted at having been found and dragged back to an all too familiar environment but she couldn't bring herself to think too deeply on it.

"Let me out of here! I need to pisssssss!" She slurred. "What the hell, am I drunk? NO MOST LIKELY DRUGGED, ASSHATS! Just you wait.." She took a bigger breath and hollered, "JUST YOU WAIT, MONKEY BOY! I'M GONNA GET OUTTA HERE AND BEAT YA WITH A RUTABAGA FOR CHAINING ME UP LIKE THIS! WHY IN GOOD GRAVY'S NAME DOES MY BUTT CHEEK HURT?! GAH!"

Further from her chambers an elf asked his highness in their tongue, "Do you think this is a.. normal reaction to the calming herbs for one of men? And do you think she will recall the, eh.. incident once she has recovered?

Legolas was baffled and slowly shook his head 'no' while his face was slowly turning a light shade of pink at the aforementioned cheek comment. The elf in front of him was the only one to have seen him accidentally 'disturb' the lower part of her person, so he added to his response by leaning towards him with a serious face and stated, "You to speak of this to no one.."

"Yes, your highness." He bowed and left the room, thankfully resisting long enough to conceal a hidden grin as he rounded a corner of their immense cavernous tunnels.

Legolas took a deep breath and strode back into her old room she currently took residency in against her volition. Upon entering he discovered she had freed a hand which had roamed ill-appealingly towards her nose, picking at one side with her thumb while attempting to get a clear view of her nail to see if there were anything there.

"Is this an old daughter or a new daughter..?" She seriously asked him.

"..Pardon?"

"Is this.." She gestured with her thumb, "an old daughter or a new booger?" Her face was hopelessly straight while his cheek flinched in amusement.

"I believe that is a new.. boog-ar" He humored her. At least she wasn't struggling to break free at the moment, in which he was grateful. Things turned a bit concerning when she decided to speak to him with renewed vigor.

"Bee a doll and take these things off. Y're closest to me, right? I bettt I can get ye to help me outt. The othar dude was too gerumpy, muttering stuff about Lady-this, Lady-that. And I was THIS close to naming him Bashful!" She used her fingers to emphasize her point. "Now I have to call him Grumpy but that upsets the balanthe! Balnase.. BALANCE. Your daddy is already Grumpy. Maybe I should name him 'Mr. Grumpy Pants' but then that makes you Grumpy Pants Junior and I don't think YOU are a Grumpy Pants. No. That won't do at all!" She was exasperated. Her eyes locked onto his face, then lazily traveled down then back up again in appraisal, making him uncharacteristically self conscious. No one looked at him in that manner before now. "No, you would make a fine Mr. Hottie Pants.." she 'tsked' making him uncertain at her meaning but she suddenly gasped aloud, "Oh, why does my buttttt hurts?! It feels like some kid jumped on it.. I think there might be a bruise. Can you look at it to check?" His face had begun to pale at her babbling but shot right back to pink.

xoxoxo

After making sure she was sound asleep, he left to seek comfort in his study. There he would pour over more books on men and their ways then make his was to bed. He hadn't slept in some time and the toll was starting to take.

He was by far grateful no one but himself had seen her rather mortifying display. She was certainly experiencing a side effect of the calming herbs however none he had ever heard of before. It was completely holistic and widely used among all races and age. Perhaps it was less effective for the elves therefore they mistakenly gave her too much? He would have to check back with her assigned healer to be sure. He would need to adjust his notes to include 'Effects on Small Women.'

Hopefully she would see reason in staying here and no longer require the use of restraints or calming herbs but in the meantime she would just have to adjust. He mentally decided to better communicate with her on this and help her understand why she needed to stay. She would not do well to recover her memories without any sort of controlled environment.

Legolas' father, King Thranduil, wouldn't waste time on her now that she was extremely incoherent. For that, he was grateful. Her behavior would have him send her straight to the prison so as to not waste his peoples time nor effort on someone so ill-mannered and demented. Especially is she were to escape again. They were beginning to gain an infamy among the kingdoms in the number of escapees they seem to keep tallying over the ages.

Once he reached his destination Legolas began recollecting all of his encounters with the 'Lady' (who had a higher tendency of acting more so like a child than an actual Lady). When they first met it was under mysterious yet highly alarming circumstances. He was ordered to comb the wood for any significant displays of energy gathered and perhaps contain it or at least report what may have been the cause. Instead of finding anything one would expect he suddenly came upon a small beautiful sound of painful words and tears, all from a small troubled woman.

Before he had a chance to make himself known she had hastened to slash at her wrist making him lunge from behind to grab at her in time to avoid her getting to her other one. He was startled this woman was not only within the borders of Mirkwood but also not keen on living beyond her already short-lived years. He remembers feeling the sickly flow of fresh blood spilling between his fingers and her wails to let her go. A shallow pool of blood collected beneath their struggle so quickly and within moments she went limp in his arms. Her head fell back on his shoulder, her eyes staring at the night sky as she gasped, still clinging to consciousness, muttering something about the stars.

It was the first time he got a clear view of her face. Her long brown hair had a light curl to it and was dark at the roots and went impossibly lighter towards the ends, fringe beautifully framing her face. Her chin was sharp but not exaggerated and upon it lovely soft lips. For a fraction of a second his thoughts wondered upon what they felt like. Her eyes were a deep hazel green and gold and her lashes were already long and full however they had a black thickly substance on them and her eyes had a strange hue of brown and gold shading that accentuated their size. Her right ear looked painfully impaled with a silver moon on the cartilage and three tiny stars dotted along towards the softer flesh, the other ear only had the same three stars to match. Her smell was of fresh dew and warm lilies, which intoxicated his elven senses. When had a mortal woman ever smelt so divine? One of his accompanying guards shook him out of his trance offering him some stripped cloth from his clean tunic to help tie up her arm and they quickly made way back towards their healers. He would get his answers when she would survive. If she survived.

Fast forward a few months and yet no answers came. His new quest had lost memories of her past, her whereabouts, where she came from, and thankfully of her recent incident. He would hope she wouldn't regain the memories of that horrific scene. Legolas was used to battle with men-Torn limbs, beheaded soldiers strewn left and right as he fought and easily slaughtered orc after orc, first with his arrows and then with his twin blades. The adrenaline, or what increments he produced, filled the void of anguish he would feel later, for his melee kept him level headed. He had to admit it did give him a rush.

After all of his experiences nothing would have prepared him for this. A woman so intent on ending her own life and in such a manner gave him little sleep and burned in his mind. He felt responsible and hence he felt protective over her, so it was no little feeling of panic he experienced when he discovered her missing from her assigned quarters. When he found her to be no where else she would usually frequent he nearly scared his men to death bursting through the guard barracks to summon a search party. He wondered what they thought of him to have such a strong regard for the welfare of this stranger. A human, no less! Perhaps they would brush it off as something of greater importance they had no business knowing. Royal confidentiality was a great ally in this situation, to Legolas' relief.

He had grown a fondness to what time revealed as her personality traits were very pleasant if somewhat paranoid. She was very thoughtful and kind towards other elves even though he caught her scoffing to herself on some occasions. It was to be expected if she never knew of their existence, or at least in this point in time due to her amnesia. Still, she took it all so well. Anna would make a fine elf if she were born as one, Legolas thought to himself one day, watching as she carefully studied the plants and talked to them as though no one listened. He secretly followed her in case she uncovered more to the truths she allowed them to hear, she always seemed to know more than she let them to believe but he was too sharp to not notice it. She seemed disturbed by their kind and if she ever nearly bumped into one of them when she walked unawares, although they always moved out of her way in time, she would startle with eyes wide act panicked so for such a brief moment before quickly remembering herself and apologize softly to them.

He should have paid more attention to her! When she fled while he was busy with his royal duties he felt stricken with fear. They had come so far in getting her acquainted with her new environment and he believed she would soon recover more information about herself if she already hadn't. He did think she knew more and learned more everyday but she wasn't yet comfortable enough to open up. Little did he know she had actually never planned to tell them anything, it had become apparent when she fled until so late in the night. This left them with less options than when they had started. If she didn't open up soon then the King would get her to by force.

xoxoxo

Somewhere off in the distance a faint horn could be heard. A new force was being created of monsters far worse than one could imagine, surpassing the Uruk-hai with a vengeance. This new race was of pure grotesque, bestowed as a late parting gift from a fallen Valar God, Melkor. Their greenish hue was from the slime and filth, having raised from the clutches of death and evil replenished their slots of missing souls, their bodies harvested from the fallen elves and men unclaimed from the war now passed along only in tails and song. They were created and sent with only one task.. for one person. The single being not of this world.

 **Want more? Please Read and Review! xoxo**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

King Thranduil sat in his throne after his quick meal with his son. He learned that his human guest had momentarily stepped out of the confines of her medical chambers but she was back now, out of harms way, taking 'well' to a soft supply of calming herbs for her nerves since the more grievous injuries she was found with had more to do with her mind rather than physicality. He was assured she would receive the assistance she would need and more readily give them the information they have so patiently waited for in the passing months. He wasn't in a hurry as of late-The wars were over and his new treaty was in effect raining peace upon the lands at last, he could wait some more as long as the virtues of it paid out in the end.

He only had one other to wait for and they would be arriving today to deliver him news of Lady Galadriel and what she had sent her own messenger to acquire. Just as he mulled over possibilities for the great disturbance in energy he had witnessed, a tall lean elf with long black hair and war braids upon the sides of his head which connected together in a style similar to his son, Legolas', entered the throne room and swiftly made his way up to where the King was perched.

"Your highness," he bowed deeply, "I have news of The Great Lady and her discoveries."

"You may speak." He commanded.

"Sir, there is evil breeding in the graves of those abandoned in wars long past. Witnesses say talk of resurrected men and elf alike stand tall and black as putrid death itself. Soulless and merciless. Strangely, no attacks have yet been reported however it is believed to be an imminent fate to those who dare stand in their way. As of their leader there has been no stake claimed and not one even mentioned, which The Lady of The Wood has found to be peculiar. She mentioned your human visitor seems to play a part on the grander scale of things and advises to never let her stray far from here in order to keep her hidden and safe."

As Thranduil expected, there was more to the girl than one would think to notice at first look. Could she be the target? The victim? The perpetrator? There was not logical way she was not involved in this new matter, he was no King of coincidences and never believed otherwise. He needed to meet with her to have a little chat about just who she really is. He motioned towards a younger messenger, since the current one needed a rest and good food before his next mission, and immediately requested for Anna's presence.

xoxoxo

Her second time waking that day was by far the more graceful one, even if her head still throbbed and her body still felt quite sore. The room was similar to the healing chambers she had woken up in the first time-earthen walls, floor, and ceiling, a torch on the wall (it wasn't burning now for it was still light out) and the noticeably absent medical equipment. After having a strange dream of running through the woods, looking at a clear sky containing thousands upon thousands of brilliant stars, waking up tied down by elves while incessantly screaming at them.. It was nightmarish! She hoped she hadn't said or done anything to cause trouble. Naturally she didn't want to be there enough to have a wild dream of escaping but where would she go? Nothing seemed right about this place and it made her prefer staying within her confines to stay safe instead of just taking a chance.

Stay safe.. the words echoed through her mind, this time slowly pulling up the images of what memories she only recently recovered. No. Something wasn't right. How could she want to stay safe. She had wanted to die before and very nearly succeeded if it weren't for that man to stop her, wherever he came from. It was all coming back to her one image at a time.. There was a path. It disappeared when she turned around but instead of trying to get back she decided to keep trudging on a little, after her fit, of course. A shiver ran up her spine. That's right, someone was watching me.. that's what that feeling was about. She didn't care at the time but maybe she should have because he was the reason her plan never came to fruition. Maybe he wouldn't have taken her away and kept her here away for so long away from her kids..

Anna's eyes shot open, drawing in a quick breath, "Oh my God!"

xoxoxo

Legolas had woken from his slumber hours earlier and had finished a quick breakfast with his father consisting of green leaves and rejuvenating herbs along with a piece of bread and an apple. Elves weren't heavy eaters and avoided meat unless it was absolutely necessary. He brought some of the same meal for his guest on a tray, having let her handmaiden take the day off so he could spend more one on one time with her, and set a steady pace for her current quarters. They took her restraints off but left rotating guards at her door when she had settled down and promised to behave. Shortly after she had fallen back asleep when they gave her a much smaller portion of calming leaves. That was later in the day and with a new day to greet them Legolas decided it would make a nice peace offering to greet his charge in a pleasant manner with something satisfying to eat (or at least he thought it was).

Reaching her door, he passed by the currently assigned guards, and had a fleeting hesitation to knock for it was a familiar setting in which he last found her to not be in her room, nor anywhere for that matter. Pushing his fears aside he strode up and rapped a few times on the hard wooden surface. There was a quick rustling of fabrics, a quiet nose blown and tiny sniffles, and then more rustling before a small weary voice answered, "I'm decent, now, you can come in."

At his cue, he stepped through the door in relief to find her still in her bed, which was nicely straightened out around her, and her hair was looking a bit more tame. She failed to hide her face completely with her hair and Legolas noticed she had been crying. "Is there something that troubles you, Lady Anna?"

"..N-no. I'm okay. Is that for me?" She said quietly, looking at the tray in his hands. She wasn't ready to spill any beans just yet. The new torrent of information was still raw and pounding through her head in vivid flashes now and again, though far less sudden and painful, it was still debilitating and easily brought on by thinking too much or too deeply about it. Opening up just yet was only going to make her mind spiral out of control, she feared.

"Ah, yes." He placed the tray in front of her, coming close enough to see her red rimmed eyes and tearful lashes. She seemed so fragile.

"Thank you.." She half whispered. The thought of eating was enough to make her want to lose the contents of her stomach but she didn't want to have any issues with the elf so she picked up a leaf and nibbled on the corner of it. It tasted incredible, as all foods somehow did in this place, so it was less of a shock but a shock all the same. She got the sense that food this good wasn't a common occurrence in her past. She didn't feel the urge to be exquisite about her food or choice of clothing, instead opting for whatever was available even to her displeasure at most times.

With old memories coming to surface the burden of feigning ignorance became too great to bear. She waited for him to say something, anything, to get her mind off of what she had remembered. She knew she had kids but something tells her they are not hers anymore. They were very close, mother and children, but something or someone came into the picture and destroyed the bonds they shared. It was the yelling man, but who was he? Did she do something wrong that was bad enough to have her children taken from her? Bad enough to kill herself over? It took all of her willpower to keep these new findings under wraps and not give away any hints of emotions. It was enough for him to notice her tear stained face. She didn't feel like she owed the man before her anything, regardless of him saving her life or not. He should have left me to rot, she thought hurtfully.

"You may as well know why I am here.." He started. He was leaning with one foot up against the wall, arms folded over his chest, wearing his usual green tunic and brown trousers and boots. He regarded the woman closely, careful to catch any twitches or give-aways to detect whether she was lying or felt too deeply about anything to indicate she may have remembered more from her past. A picture says a thousand words and his guest was about to tell him all he needed to know beyond what he already knew.

"My father, King Thranduil, does not take kindly to loiterers and liars so it is best you speak up about what you know before he has you thrown into cells." Galadriel, as well as the lady's mannerisms, had clearly expressed she was not of this world. That fact alone made her a very valuable guest. One he did not intend to lose again. Was there something important she was withholding? If so, he needed answers and the signs of distant evil were already keen on making themselves known so he needed those answers not a moment later.

xoxoxo

"Do not attempt to advert my questions, young one, or my wrath will be your undoing." Thranduil began, "You must have gathered you are not of this world, Lady Anna, though how you have come to Middle Earth is a riddle in itself. There hasn't been evil in these lands for over one hundred years and yet the very moment you had arrived is the very moment a new evil has made itself known. Do you care to shed any light on why that might be?" His tone was flat, almost bored-like, but it didn't hinder the beauty in it let alone distract her from what words he had used. _Me? Not from this WORLD?_ Anna, already feeling emotionally raw and confused, couldn't help notice how regal and alluring this person was, even if his accusations sounded completely asinine to her.

 **AN: Hope you guys are liking my story so far! If you don't like parts of it, just tell me! Any ideas? PM me anytime, I can always use some good ideas for song inserts, character interactions, feelings/thoughts I haven't come up with that would make this stuff amazing. You'll get credit for it at the beginning of each chapter you share your ideas in!**

 ** _READ + REVIEW + READ + REVIEW + READ + REVIEW = HAPPY DANCE!_**

 **On a side note, I can't believe Patriots won again, I'm blown away and impressed! I'm not a natural born fan here, just saying, haha, no need to get snappy if you are a fan of a different team. I never felt like I could root for only one team, to be honest, I've lived in too many states and moved too many times in between (four elementary schools, two middle, two high schools, some college gah!). If I HAD to pick I would probably go with the Patriots since I live in New England now and probably will for the rest of my life^^**

 **On a SIDE side note I thoroughly was surprised yet giddy to see THE Draco Malfoy (jk, Tom Felton) in the latest "Flash" episodes! I had no idea that was going on and I love his new role, so hawt [blushes, I've never admitted this outloud to anyone] Hey, you guys.. you don't think he reads fanfiction do you? I saw a pic of him holding a sign saying "I support Dramione" which I'm a big fan of, so who knows, right? Eeep! I'm also working on a Draco x OC story, too, so check that out if you'd like! [still blushing madly and feels rather faint from all this Tom talk, oh goodness] Off to bed! Two chapters in a day is a lot for me but thanks for being cool about them being short and all, writing is the least of my talents, fooey!**


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